THE leader of Stockton Council has agreed to cut his special allowance by £1,200 - rather than the £100 recommended by an independent panel.

It means Councillor Bob Cook’s total allowance will fall from £37,300 to £36,100.

The reduction comes as Stockton’s councillors agreed to reduce their overall allowances which could save the authority £34,000 a year.

The 4% reduction on councillors’ allowances budget - believed to be the first in the region - was agreed at this week’s full council meeting.

It followed recommendations from an independent panel appointed to review the current allowances system.

The panel reported that “it is abundantly clear to us that there is no appetite within the council to increase the basic allowance in 2012/13, in view of the financial position of the council.”

Under the scheme, special responsibility allowances paid to the council leader and deputy leader, Cabinet members, the chairmen and vice-chairmen of various committees and leaders of each political group will be reduced.

Special responsibility allowances are paid on top of the basic councillor’s allowance of £9,300 - which will be frozen.

The leader’s special allowance reduces from £28,000 per annum to £26,800.

The independent panel had recommended a reduction of just £100, but the council’s Cabinet agreed a much bigger cut of £1,200.

Cabinet members allowances are reduced from £13,000 to £12,060. Allowances paid to the mayor and deputy mayor will also fall by 4% to £16,800 and £5,280.

Councillors also agreed to keep any future increases in line with pay increases to council employees, which have been frozen for the past two years and are likely to remain so for 2012/13.

Stockton Council leader Bob Cook, said councillors work extremely hard for their communities.

But, at a time when the authority is examining all of its budgets to achieve £26.5m of savings - and with our staff pay frozen - the Labour councillor believed it was right for members to look at their own remuneration.

“As far as I am aware, we are the first council in the region to cut our members’ allowances,” he said.

“We have listened to the recommendations of an independent panel and taken on board many of their ideas and principles, but this move goes a step further.”